Seven pedestrians hit in separate collisions in 45 minutes in Toronto

Toronto police are stressing caution on the roads after a rash of collisions saw seven pedestrians struck in a 45-minute span during the Monday morning commute.

While the average number of pedestrian collisions in the city is six per day, to have so many in such a short period of time Monday was unusual.

In one incident, a woman was hit while pushing her two-year-old in a stroller at Don Mills Road and Havenbrook Boulevard, just north of Highway 401. The two both managed to escape with minor injuries, while the driver was charged with careless driving, police said.

In another collision, an 83-year-old man was sent to hospital after being struck by a car at Corvette Avenue, near Kennedy Road and Eglinton Avenue East.

“In each case [the pedestrians] were attended to by Emergency Medical Services. Of that, two went to hospital for sure,” said Const. Clint Stibbe. Along with the man noted above, he said another individual was sent to the hospital after a collision at College Street and Spadina Avenue.

In a third incident, Const. Stibbe said a pedestrian who was struck “refused the ambulance and walked away” from the scene. “That is the one that essentially disappeared.”

Multiple factors contributed to the slew of incidents, said Const. Stibbe.

“It’s a three-part issue: the driver being unable to see the pedestrian; poor weather making the pedestrian harder to see; and the pedestrian wearing dark clothing with no reflective material.”

In regards to the latter, Const. Stibbe was quick to point out that there needs to be caution when assigning fault to the situations — something he was forced to respond to on Twitter when he was accused of blaming the pedestrians.

“There’s nothing that says as a pedestrian you can’t wear dark clothing,” he said. “But we’re trying to make the point that it’s not a fashion statement, it’s a safety statement. If you want to increase your chances of getting to work or getting home safely on a daily basis, wear reflective clothing. Wear some sort of garment or something that stands out on your outfit.”

In the city last year, 2,031 pedestrians were hit by vehicles, with the 2012 total currently sitting at 1,688.